Revelation-Part 25
| By: Dr. Robert Thomas; ©2001 |
| The seventh trumpet has sounded. The earth is awaiting the events set forth in the seven bowls. Meanwhile, two songs are sung in heaven. The first celebrates Christ’s coming kingdom and the second celebrates God’s future judgments. These songs are the topics of this month’s article by Dr. Robert Thomas. |
Contents
THE SEVENTH TRUMPET: THE SEVEN BOWLS PENDING—HEAVENLY CELEBRATION
Last month we learned from Revelation 11:1-13 about two future witnesses in Jerusalem, their martyrdom and resurrection, and a great future revival in Jerusalem. Revelation 11:14 follows that account with two announcements: the completion of the second woe—i.e., the sixth trumpet judgment (9:13-21)—and the imminent arrival of the third woe (11:14).
Immediately, the seventh angel sounds his trumpet (11:15a), but with no immediate impact upon the earth. The same lack of impact was noticeable with the opening of the seventh seal (8:1), a reminder that the seven trumpets comprise the seventh seal and the seven bowls comprise the seventh trumpet. The contents of the seventh trumpet do not come to light until Revelation 16 when the writer details the pouring out of the seven bowls. In preparation for those bowls, Revelation 12–14 explains various underplots working themselves out on earth, and Revelation 15 shifts to heaven where further preparations for the bowls transpire. But before the underplots, we have two songs sung in heaven (11:15b-18). The first celebrates Christ’s coming kingdom (11:15b), and the second, God’s future judgments (11:16-18).
Heavenly Celebration over Christ’s Coming Kingdom (11:15b)
After the seventh angel sounds, the scene shifts to heaven where loud voices are singing (11:15a). The text does not tell who the singers are, but it does tell what they are singing about: “The kingdom of the world has become that of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever” (11:15b). The heavenly singers are holding an advanced celebration over what will be the world’s status when the seventh trumpet—i.e., the seven bowls—has run its course. Jesus will return and assume the throne of His father David in a future changeover, thereby replacing the satanically spoiled sovereignty of world rulers that has prevailed for so long. Christ will be King of kings and Lord of lords (see 19:16).
The beginning of Christ’s reign has not yet arrived at the point of this song in the chronological sequence of Revelation, however. The verb translated “has become” in 11:15b has the resultant sense of “will have become,” because the heavenly singers are projecting their perspective forward to a point when the kingdom of Christ will have been established. At that time the kingdom of the world will have become that of our Lord and of His Christ. That will mark a transference of power from the heathen nations to God’s direct authority and control over the world. With a focus on that transition, the singers find good reason to rejoice.
“Our Lord” and “His Christ” will be the new rulers. “Our Lord” is the title of God the Father. In echoing Psalm 2:2, “His Christ” or “His Anointed” speaks of Jesus as God’s anointed one: “The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed.” That psalm predicts the ultimate victory of the Lord’s anointed one over rebellious kings and rulers. What the heavenly song anticipates is the fulfillment of Psalm 2’s prediction (see Ps. 2:9, “You [i.e., God’s Anointed One] shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.”).
When the 11:15b song concludes with “He will reign forever and ever,” it anticipates Christ’s reign, both His thousand-year reign on earth (Rev. 20:1-10) and His endless reign in the new heaven and the new earth (Rev. 21:1–22:5). Those two phases of His reign will culminate anticipations of the writers of Scripture all the way from the Old Testament through the New Testament. That is the direction world history is headed.
Heavenly Celebration over Judgment to Come (11:16-18)
The twenty-four elders, as part of their worship to God, sing the second song evoked by the seventh trumpet (11:16-18). They praise Him for taking charge of world affairs, for rewarding the faithful and for judging earth’s rebels.
In thanking Him (11:17), they call Him “the Almighty” because of His all-embracing sovereignty. They recognize His uninterrupted existence in the present and past when they describe Him as the one “who is and who was.” They repeat the truth of the first song when they acknowledge that He has seized direct control of the world and begun to reign. They celebrate the final and overwhelming display of His power in defeating His enemies. With such acknowledgments, the elders like the earlier singers are anticipating the moment when all this will have taken place, a point not yet reached in the chronological sequence of Revelation.
The response of the nations to God’s “take-over” is not favorable, and so He must judge them at the same time He rewards the faithful (11:18). The institution of the hated kingdom of God on earth provokes a defiant rage from the nations. In their hostility, they will assemble great armies to oppose God (see Rev. 16:14, 16, 19; 20:8-9), as predicted earlier in Psalm 2:1-3. When the elders sing, “Your wrath has come,” they anticipate that future moment when Christ will return and impose His rule by punishing those who oppose Him. That will be the time for judging the dead. God will reward His servants for their faithfulness first. Those who have served the Lord resolutely will receive gracious rewards, no matter whether they are the lowliest slaves or the highest in imperial rank. Social and cultural status will not matter.
The other aspect of judgment will be God’s destroying of those who destroy the earth. In the context of Revelation those to be destroyed must include Babylon (19:2), the beast and the false prophet (19:17-21), Satan (20:10), and all whose names are not written in the book of life (20:15). For the elders to celebrate the destruction of anyone may seem unloving. Normally, destruction is not a theme anyone likes to sing about. Yet love “does not rejoice on the basis of unrighteousness, but rejoices in fellowship with the truth” (1 Cor. 13:6). Seeing God’s truth and righteousness prevail in the end times is a legitimate basis for rejoicing among God’s heavenly creatures.
Heavenly Response to the Celebrations (11:19)
At the conclusion of the two heavenly songs comes the opening of the heavenly temple and the appearance there of the ark of the covenant (11:19a). When the victories celebrated by the heavenly singers occur, the temple will open and the ark will appear.
This heavenly temple is different from the earthly temple described in 11:1-2. It is the one presupposed in the scenery of Revelation 4–5 and the one from which the prayers of the saints ascend in 8:3-4 and from which God’s acts of vengeance proceed in 8:5 and 15:5-8. The temple and the ark of the covenant in John’s description show that the judgments yet to come relate to the restoration of national Israel and the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to the nation (see Genesis 15; 2 Samuel 7).
The ark of the covenant has a rich biblical history, one that parallels the history of Israel in a number of ways. The disappearance of the ark at the time of Israel’s captivity marked a temporary setback for the nation. To have it reappear in conjunction with the events prophesied in Revelation indicates that the time for the Messiah to return and Israel to be restored is at hand. What remains to happen pertains to God’s covenant people and His dealings with them and on their behalf.
After the ark’s appearance comes another storm theophany—“bolts of lightning and voices and peals of thunder and an earthquake and great hail” (11:19b). Another storm theophany occurred in connection with the seventh seal (8:5) and another will come in connection with the seventh bowl (16:18). This one relates to the seventh trumpet and signals that the bowls, trumpets, and seals will terminate simultaneously, in conjunction with the return of Christ to the earth. That will mark a particularly decisive moment in the life of Israel.
With less knowledge than the heavenly beings who sing the aforementioned songs, those of us on earth can still celebrate what God will do in the future. But along with our celebration we should prepare ourselves for what He is going to do. We can decisively stand for Him in this life and assure ourselves of being among those receiving gracious rewards for faithfulness when He judges, and not among those whom He must destroy because of their opposition to His truth and righteousness. May we see life’s realities as God sees them and not be deluded by the deceptions of Satan. Our active faith in Jesus Christ will assure our approval and acceptance among “the saints and those who fear His name” (see 11:18).
Note: For more details about the seventh trumpet and the heavenly celebration, see my discussion in Revelation 8–22 (Moody Press, 1995), pages 103-115. To order this volume, you may contact Grace Books International at (800) GRACE15 or www.gbibooks.com.
